These are a few of the things I've recently found interesting, but don't have the time to properly blog on. I don't necessarily like or agree with the links here, I just think they're interesting. And just in case you do, too, enjoy.
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From Christianity.ca Review by Denyse O'Leary:
"Editor Bobby Maddex, working under the Fellowship of St. James, which also produces the ecumenical thinkrag Touchstone, has tossed out the usual dull faith-and-science stuff. He has produced a magazine o
Christianity Today finally got around to covering a story that caught my attention back in August (I wrote, “Separation of God and science?”). If you’re interested, read it here: “Admissions: Rejected: Christian school sues University of California over requirements.”
Here's an excerpt:
"The question the university must confront in reviewing these texts is not whether they have religious content," the university said, "but whether they provide a comprehensive view of the relevant subject matter, reflecting knowledge generally accepted in the scientific and educational communities and with which a student at the university level should be conversant."
For example, the university said it rejected the literature course for using an anthology as the only required text.
"It's not that we're not allowing a particular viewpoint," UC spokeswoman Ravi Poorsina said. "We're saying that we require certain disciplines that in these cases are not there."
Doesn’t seem
There’s an interesting interview just put out by my employer, Christianity Today International, that I think is worth reading. It’s an interview with Dallas Willard and Richard J. Foster conducted by Christianity Today associate editor Agnieszka Tennant: “The Making of the Christian: Richard J. Foster and Dallas Willard on the difference between discipleship and spiritual formation.”
I love this analyses by Dallas Willard regarding the current emptiness of the word “discipleship:”
“Discipleship as a term has lost its content, and this is one reason why it has been moved aside. … There are really three gospels that are heard in our society. One is forgiveness of sins. Another is being faithful to your church: If you take care of your church, it will take care of you. Sometimes it's called discipleship, but it's really churchmanship.
In “The Ultimate Issue” Brian logged an interesting and thought provoking post on “designing your own God.”
Likewise, the hundreds of differing beliefs that people have about God, and the fact that people dearly want them to be true, do not make them true. God is who he is. God is the authority on God. We cannot design God. We have to deal with God as he is. We have to face reality, like it or not.
I like it. That’s good stuff.
Yet, I think there is a tension between having the right beliefs about God and having a personal knowledge of God—which will always be unique to at least a degree.
To make a comparison: Knowing God is like studying the stars. There are facts that can be known: among other things, stars are hot; are primarily composed of
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the Association of Christian Schools International (800+ religious schools in California) and the Calvary Chapel Christian School (Murrieta, California) filed a civil rights lawsuit this past Thursday against the University of California, claiming religious discrimination. I believe the suit specifically alleges that UC discriminates against students who are taught creationism. According to the LA Times, UC won't recognize high school science courses using textbooks based on creationism, or that challenge Darwinistic theories.
Aparrently, UC believes it is impossible to teach real science when matters of faith are at stake. Has anyone in the admissions office there looked up the definition of "theory" lately? Among the high school courses rejected by UC are:
- Christianity's Influence in American History
- Christianity and Morality in American Literature
- Special Providence: American Government
Those sound like reasonable course titles, to me.
I found this especially compelling in light of some of
It's great to see little churches doing effectively what the big churches are still trying to figure out: take a hint from Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, and start building community the way our culture responds to it.
Bridgewood: 'A church for life'
Everyone is welcome to congregate before or after services in the cafe, which has a fireplace and cappuccino machine. The venue is so popular, members are already asking about expanding it and adding a yogurt machine for smoothies, Marquis said. "People just want to sit and talk with each other," she said.
On the other hand, the Borg-like "Starbuxination" of church can be a little disturbing. My mom talked about visiting a church in Albuquerque, NM, where people were wandering around during the sermon to get coffee refills. When I wandered down the hallways of my home church, Calvary
Seems the old meme that the Mormon faith (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is the fastest growing faith in the world has become officially dated. KIDK TV news, out of Idaho Falls is reporting:
"...Since 1990, Seventh Day Adventists, Assemblies of God and Pentecostal groups have grown much faster and in more places around the globe. The number of new converts to the LDS church, as well as the number of missionaries have dropped in the last 2 years."
Now, you'd be right to think this spells trouble for the Mormon church. But buried in that graf is the hint of trouble for the rest of the Western church world as well. Well … if not exactly trouble, at least the winds of change.
The leadership roles long enjoyed by the European and North American church strongholds
Every day, headlines assault us with troubling news. These recent titles from a local news website are just a small sampling:
It's official: I'm presenting at the 2008 
